Reason To Stay
by xGlowingAngelx
Summary: Are you really prepared to walk out that door, go back to Dallas and put everything behind you?" Luke asked, and Reid felt the knot in his stomach tighten suddenly. "Can you give me a reason to stay?" Luke/Reid.


**Title: **Reason To Stay

**Author: **chasing_nothing

**Fandom: **As The World Turns

**Character(s)/Pairing: **Luke Snyder/Reid Oliver

**Rating: **PG.

**Summary:** "Are you really prepared to walk out that door, go back to Dallas and put everything behind you?" Luke asked, and Reid felt the knot in his stomach tighten suddenly. "Can you give me a reason to stay?"

**Author Note:** This is set just a little into the future, after Noah has his eyesight back. Maybe a few months?

His suitcase was too small.

Sprawled open across his bed, with sweaters and socks spilling over the edge, he suddenly felt very depressed. In all the time he'd been living in Oakhell (the town that, much as he hated admitting it, really wasn't as bad as he made out), he'd managed to build up an entire wardrobe (and a few chest of drawers) of clothes. Nothing fancy. His hospital scrubs (which were irrelevent right now, since they were at the hospital), a couple of suits (for the professional moments) and jeans and sweaters. He owned 3 ties: one that a patient had bought him as Thank You in return for saving her life; one that Katie (and Jacob, apparently) had bought as gift because it "reminded them of him" (Sprawled across was a picture of Mr. Grumpy. Yeh.) that he never wore, but kept for the sentiment, and the other one. It was plain black and, to anyone else, completely forgettable. It was also the one he could barely stand to look out without his stomach doing someraults and his heart pounding _way _too fast. The one that Lu- _Mr Snyder - _had so casually straightened out for him back in Dallas for his hearing with the Texas Medical Board of the case filed against him by the Judd's.

He'd stood so close that Reid barely had time to remember to breathe before Luke so casually started clawing at the tie in that _really _annoying way people do when they forget that you're a grown person that is perfectly capable of dressing himself. Reid had expected to get annoyed at that, but instead had found himself convinced it was an out-of-body experience. One that felt too good and... _natural _to happen to him.

He hated that tie. (He didn't really.)

He had at least three hours before he had to be at the airport. He'd ran through his checklist countless times (Yes, Reid, you have _everything)_ and tried to ignore the fact that, even with suitcase that he hadn't initially arrived in Oakdale with, he felt like he was leaving with nothing.

The doorbell rang a hour and half before he had to leave. (Probably Bob Hughes, coming by to tell him what an amazing neurosurgeon he is and how greatly missed he'll be by the hospital. Or Henk, come to throw him a last minute farewell party, just to ensure he was actually leaving). He answered it and suddenly felt like his legs had turned to jelly. _Luke goddamned Snyder. _

"What are you doing here?" he asked, shifting slightly to close the gap that would allow Luke enough room to walk in.

"I'm..... I'm not sure."

"Awww. Take a wrong turn? Noah's blindess must've rubbed off on you." The moment he said it, he wished he hadn't. The look on Luke's face made him feel like somebody had just punched him in the stomach. (Seriously, what was _wrong_ with him today. A neurosurgeon that couldn't even control his own body? That wasn't right.)

Luke scowled and cocked his head to the side. "Nice to see you back to......" he trailed off, suddenly focusing his attention behind Reid. _Oh god. _Reid didn't need to ask to know he was taking in the sight before him. The passport, Jacket and Suitcase scattered the front room. He suddenly felt like a kid that had been caught with his fingers in the cookie jar. (Which was ridiculous, since he had nothing to hide.)

In the moment of panic, Luke had somehow pushed past him and was now stood by the sofa, holding Reid's passport as if he'd never seen one before.

_Don't do that. Stop looking at that with that expression on your face. It's just a passport. Surely even _Richie Rich _has seen one of those before? _

"Where are you going?" Luke's voice was pressing and Reid wondered how long it would be before he cracked completely.

"Home." he replied, hoping it sounded far more casual and confident than he felt right now.

"You are at ho- Wait, you're going back to _Texas?"_

"Ah, the genius in you returns. That's my home, Mr Snyder."

_That's it, keep the wall up. Good job, Reid. _

Luke frowned and, for a split second, Reid thought he was going to suddenly start screaming at him.

"But..... why? I mean, you can't leave. You work here. You live _here_. This is your home."

"No, my home is in Texas, where I wont get back to if I don't make it to the airport in-" he glanced at his watch "oooh, an hour. So, if you'll excuse me..." he opened the front door and looked at Luke, who made no effort at all to move. _God, this kid was _the _most frustrating thing he'd ever known. _

"Fine." he put the jacket on, tucked his passport into his pocket and grabbed the handle of the suitcase. He was an inch or so away from the door when Luke dived in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "Get out of the way, Mr Snyder" he kept his tone low, which he thought was pretty impressive, since he sure as hell wasn't feeling rational right now. Luke didn't move, and that frustrated him all the more.

"Do you _really _to make this any more difficult than it already is?" he asked, before he could stop himself.

(Stupid, spoilt, Richie Rich always had a way of knocking his walls down and it made him feel jittery. Or Fluttery, or something.)

Luke sighed and edged further towards Reid, closing the gap between them in the same way Reid had done when he opened the door.

"Are you really prepared to walk out that door, go back to Dallas and put everything behind you?" Luke asked, and Reid felt the knot in his stomach tighten suddenly. "Can you give me a reason to stay?"

This was it. The crunch time. The vital moment. The one that excited Reid and made him feel nervous as hell all in one. He hadn't planned to ask that. It just.... slipped out. But once it had, he couldn't take it back. Not that he was even sure he _wanted _to take it back, anyway.

For a moment, Luke had stayed silent and Reid hated that because, when Luke did that, it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

Why would Luke even want him to stay? Their relatio- _fling_ ended weeks ago and Luke seemed perfectly happy being alone. _No point in adding something brighter to an already perfect backdrop._ Truth was, Reid had come to terms with the fact he and Luke wouldn't be together. Not that it didn't hurt him, of course. Nor did it make this moment in time any less awkward (and stupid, and heartbreaking).

He nodded (More to himself than to Luke) and reached for the doorknob, when he felt Luke's had close over his.

"Luke....." he whispered, not even caring that the room seemed to be spinning. His focus entirely on where Luke's hand rested over his on the doorknob.

Against his better judgement (and willpower) he looked right into the same blue eyes that had already turned his world upside down. He tried (and failed) to resist when Luke leaned in and kissed him. It was a soft kiss (hardly surprising, coming from the guy that had the softest lips Reid had ever tasted) that lasted a few short seconds (or, if you want to rain on the parade, a few seconds too long, since Reid had to catch his flight _really _soon. Unless he'd already missed it.)

Luke had broke away and looked at him with a hesitant smile. Reid watched as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, like a nervous schoolboy.

"Why did you do that?" he asked. (_It was a goodbye kiss. Don't get ahead of yourself.)_

Luke looked at him and shrugged softly, a nervous smile for the nervous schoolboy. "You said you wanted a reason to stay."

And with that, Reid realised that missing his flight back to Texas wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.


End file.
